Employment rose by 157,000 (+0.8%) in September, the fourth consecutive monthly increase. The unemployment rate fell by 0.2 percentage points to 6.9%.
Employment regains pre-pandemic level in September, with some notable differences
Employment returned to its February 2020 level in September, increasing by 157,000 (+0.8%).
The employment rate was 60.9%, 0.9 percentage points lower than in February 2020.
The labour force participation rate was 65.5% in September, matching the rate observed in February 2020.
Employment among core-aged women (that is, those aged 25 to 54) was 49,000 (+0.8%) above its February 2020 level. Among core-aged men, employment was on par with February 2020.
Employment among women aged 55 and older continued to lag February 2020 (-42,000; -2.2%).
Employment in occupations not requiring postsecondary education was 287,000 lower in September 2021 than in September 2019 (not seasonally adjusted).
The numbers of public- and private-sector employees were at or above February 2020 levels, while self-employment remained 8.4% (-241,000) below its pre-pandemic level.
Employment in the services-producing sector surpassed its pre-COVID level in September, while employment in the goods-producing sector remained 3.2% (-128,000) below its February 2020 level.
Total hours worked were up 1.1%, but were 1.5% below their pre-pandemic level.
The number of people working from home was 4.1 million in September, down from 5.1 million in April 2020.
Long-term unemployment was little changed in September and accounted for 27.3% of all unemployment, up from 15.6% in February 2020.
The labour underutilization rate fell to 13.8% in September, down 0.4 percentage points from August. Above and beyond the unemployment rate, this rate reflects the proportion of people in the potential labour force who are unemployed; want a job but have not looked for one; or are employed but working less than half of their usual hours for reasons likely related to COVID-19.
Wages up 4.6% over two years, after adjusting for employment composition. In comparison, and using the same approach, the two-year wage change was +5.2% (+$1.44) in August.
Chart – Employment returns to pre-pandemic level
Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor. Read the whole story @ The Daily — Labour Force Survey, September 2021
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